ABL folded, but the WNBA, anchored by the NBA’s television reach, promised longevity the former never managed to achieve. Into that new world came Val Whiting, drafted 17th by the Detroit Shock in 1999. There were big promises she could count on, but instead, she soon found herself slipping into depression and in and out of the lineup. What showed on paper as injuries or “personal reasons” was, in truth, a quiet storm she didn’t know how to navigate. She withdrew into silence, carrying the weight of performance anxiety, low confidence, and mistakes alone.

Then, years later, in the quiet of the COVID-19 pandemic, Val Whiting opened TikTok and shared a simple video on mental health. That small act cracked open years of silence, revealing not just her own story but the power to reach others.

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